10546. Rasmussen, P.E. and C.L. Douglas Jr.. 1991. Effect of rill erosion during early vegetative growth on winter wheat yield.. Agron. J. 83:729-732.Rill erosion effects on winter wheat growth and yield were determined in six fields where rill erosion occurred during early vegetative growth. Rill erosion reduced head density, dry matter yield, N uptake, and grain yield at all sites. The rill/non-rill grain yield ratio varied from 0.84 to 0.94. The estimated yield reduction per ha associated with average rill development was between 0.9 and 1.2%. Assuming a 36 Mg/ha soil loss, the calculated yield reduction from winter wheat fields yielding 5.2 Mg/ha is 88 kg grain/ha (about $13/ha for wheat valued at $0.147). This erosion cost would encompass a significant percentage of the landscape with sloping topography and is additional to any costs associated with long-term loss of soil productivity.